Auditorium-seat.



HENmee. TEIPEL, or PARIsYrLLINors.

AUDITORIUM-snee".

specification of Letters Patent. l Patented Aug.

Application iled October 4,' 1915. Serial No. 53,997.

To all whom 'it may concern vBe it vknown that 1,l'lnNnY C. Thirst.,

'a citizen of the United States, residing 'at laris. in the count of ldifar and State of f. Illinois, h ave invented certain new and ilse- .ful Improvements in Auditoriuin-Seats, of

which the following is a specification lhis lnvention relates to seats for theaters, music halls and like places of public assembly, and its object is to linov'ably mount the l rows of seats and to provide a means where by'one row of seats may be moved forward and the next row to rear moved back, tliereby increasing the distance between said rows sutliciently to enable patrons to 'enter or leave their seats without the necessity of the other occupants rising, folding up their seats and niovingback.

The object stated isl attained by means of a novel combination and ar 'angement of parts to 4 be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the'acconipanying-drawing, in which- Figure l is a side elevation showing the application of the invention; lfig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 is a detail `in vplan View.

Referring specifically to thc drawing, 5 denotes a row of seats, and (i another row behind the same. Adjacent to the ends of the row 5 ofseats, bearings 7 are mounted on the lloor Sof the auditorium containingr the seats. Ii1.tliese'beariiigs is supported a rock shaft 9 whichl extends `beneath the seats, close to the llooi. To one end of the rock shaft is lixed a rocker arm 1() having a luiiid lever extension l1 rising to, a` suitable height alongside the scat at this end of the row,

and on the other end of the rock shaft is lixed a rocker :ii'iii 115 which is alongside the .seat at the corresponding end of the i`o\v.- The row of seats is iiiovably supported on the lloor 8, being provided with i/'olleis 15S to .facilitate their travel. All the seals of t-lie row are connected so that they move as one. 'lhe rockshaft extends parallel to the row of seats or in the direction Iof the. length of the row, and hence, when vthe shaft is rocked in the proper direction and the arms l() and 12 are coupled to the end seats of the row, the entire row is moved forward froiiiithe next row 6 behind the saine.

The following means are provided for coupling the rocker arms 10 and 12 to the endseats of the rows: Each rocker arm has an outstanding' pin on one side, the pinof the arm 10 being shown at 14 and the pin of the arin 12. at l5. The arm 19 is on the outside of the adjacent end seat, and the arm 12 is adjacent to the inner facevof the side casting of the other end seat, said seat side having an aperture 16 to receive the pin 15, and the side casting of the irst-n1en tioned seat having an aperture 17 for the pin 14. The pins are in aliiiement with the respective apertures, and the shaft 9 is slidable in the direction of its lengtl1. Hence,

when the hand lever 1l is forced inward toward the adjacent end seat, the shaft is slid in a direction to carry the coupling pins into the seat apertures, and upon swinging the lever, the row of seats is shifted as hereinbefore described.

The parts hereinbefore described asso-f 'ciated with the row 5' are duplicated for the row- (3, 'as well. as the other rows of seats,

and in the drawing they are designated by4 corresponding reference characters primed. Simultaneous with the shifting of the row 5 ot seats forward, the next row behind the saine is shifted rearward, the followingl means being provided for'ths purpose:

0n the shaft 9, adjacent to the end-seat opposite the hand lever 11, is loosely mounted a lever 18, one end of -whirh has an outstanding sidepin 19 which is opposite the pin 141 and on the opposite side of the seat, so that it is witlnlrawn' from the aperture 17 when the pin 1+ is inserted tliereinto and when the pin 1-1 is withdrawn, thepin 19.

enters the aperture. Adjacent to the rocker arm 12, u lever 2O is-loosel'y mounted on the shaft 9, said lever having a pin 21. designed to enter the aperture 16 when the` pin l5 is withdrawn.

A'lo the rocker arm 1l) is connected one end vided between 'all the rows of seats.

Iii operation, when the hand lever 11 is pushed toward the end seat of the row 5,

the pin @llt enters the aperture 17, and the i pin 15 enters the aperture 1(3,land' at the saine time thepins 19 and 21 are withdrawn from `these apertures Ato unlock from the row 5 the next row head. The rocker arms 10 :ind 12 are now coupled to the row 5 land.

when the hand lever 1.1 is swung' forward,

the row 5 is advanced as shown dotted in drawn forward and throughthe lever 18` Fig. 1. Atl the same time, the link 22 vis (the pin 19.' c which is seating in theaperture 17 of the end chair of the row 6), said row is pushed back as shown dotted in Fig. 1,.' The motion of the row 5 is also transmitted to the row 6 through the rocker arm ,1 2 and the link connection 23 between said arm and the corresponding arm of the row 6. This movement of the rows 5 and 6 is hardly perceptible because under ordinary conditions the addition of six inches will give an ample passageway, which means that each row will travel but' threeinches.

The apertures 16 and 17 are elongated soinenvhat to accommodate theV angular swing of the arms 10 andl.v This is also true with respect to the corresponding apertures of the Aparts associated with thc row 6 of seats. The levers l'and 2O are side. pinned to the rock shaft 9 to move with the same when it is shifted in the'direction of its length as hereinbefore described.

lhen the distance between the rows` of seats is such that by moving any rowive or six inchesI forward or back does not crowd the occupants, it may be advisable to have every other row stationary and the other rows movable and equipped with shaft 9 and rocker arms 10 and l2 only,-

eliminating the operating connections between the rows, and requiring that only onehalf of the rows be equipped. 'lhis arrangement leaves all the operating parts above the floor 8.

Eitherftype of apparatus can be operated from a central station or by ushers, `and vpush button buzzer, light, or other signals may be installed to advise central station or ushers when patrons desire to leave their seats;

The bearing 7 adJac'ent to the rocker arm 10 has a side notch 24 in which said rocker arm seats when the same is disconnected from the row of seats, and it is thus held locked in this position.

I claim:

1. The combination-of a row of movable auditorium seats connected to move together` relative to the next row of seats, and actuating means connected to said row for effecting such movement, said actuating i means comprising a rock shaft extending along the row of seats vand movable in the direction of itslength,- and an actuating lever fixed on the rockshaft and having means for operative connection to the row of seats, said lever being coupled to and uncoupled from the ro`w ofgseats by thelongi-1v tudinal movement of the rock shaft.

2. The combination with rows of auditorium seats, the seats of the respective rows being connected, and said rows being mov- -ably supported; of means 'for simultane' ously shifting aV row of seats forward and the -next row behind the same rearward.

3. The combination`\vith rows of audil torium seats, the 'seats of the respective rows being connected, and saidrows being movably supported; lof means for simultaneously shiftlng a row of--sea-ts forward 4and the nextrow behindv the same rearward,`

said means comprising a rock shaft extendmg along each row of seats, ,an actuating lever fixed on the rockshaft, means for 0peratively connecting said lever to the row of seats, a level` fulcrumedonthe rock shaft, means for couplingl said lever tothe row of seats, and a connection between the Vactuating leverof a" row of seats and the lever of the 4'next' row behind thev same for `1nov ing said row rearward when the row ahead is m'ovedforward. 1

,4. The combination with row's of auditorium 'seats,fthe' seats of the. respective vrows being connected, andsaid rows being mov ably supported; of meansfor simultaneously shiftinga row of seats forward and the next row behind the same rearward, said means comprising a yrock shaft-extending along Aeach row of seats,f"an actuating lever 'fixe on .the rock shaft', alever Vfnlrumed on the -rock` shaft, means for alternately coupling 'said levers to the row ofseatsthey actuating between the actuating 4lever of a row of seats and the lever of thenext row behind lthe same for moving said row rearward when the row ahead fis moved forward.'

In testimony whereof I aix my' signature in presence of two witnesses.I

HENRY C. TEIPEL.

lVitnesses: i f

lonmrr M. Klaar, RICHARD Gr.` Kms'rnN. 

